Abstract
• Over 400 species of achlorophyllous vascular plants are thought to obtain all C from symbiotic fungi. Consequently, they are termed 'myco-heterotrophic.' However, direct evidence of myco-heterotrophy in these plants is limited. • During an investigation of the patterns of N and C stable isotopes of various ecosystem pools in two old-growth conifer forests, we sampled six species of myco-heterotrophic achlorophyllous plants to determine the ability of stable isotope ratios to provide evidence of myco-heterotrophy and host-specificity within these symbioses. • Dual-isotope signatures of the myco-heterotrophic plants differed from those of all other pools. They were most similar to the signatures of ectomycorrhizal fungi, and least like those of green plants. δ15 N values of the myco-heterotrophic plants correlated strongly and positively with those of putative mycobionts. • Used in conjunction with other techniques, N and C stable isotope ratios can be used to demonstrate myco-heterotrophy and host-specificity in these plants when other ecosystem pools are well characterized. They also appear promising for estimating the degree of heterotrophy in photosynthetic, partially myco-heterotrophic plants.
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